An extensive redesign for Milton Road has moved a step closer amid warnings that everyone’s worst traffic “nightmares could come true” if nothing is done.

Delegates at the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s (GCP, formerly City Deal) assembly voted in favour of a “final concept” for a road re-design, despite concerns it wouldn't encourage people out of their cars and didn't factor cyclists in enough.

The concept includes 430 metres of outbound bus lane, 320m more than there are at the moment, but 885m of inbound bus lane, 130m fewer than currently.

That extra bus capacity will sit alongside the existing carriageway, and will be concentrated around major junctions like Elizabeth Way junction and the King’s Hedges Road junction.

There will also be properly segregated cycle routes and separate paths for pedestrians. The proposals also aim to keep as much of the trees and green verges as possible to avoid the road becoming a utilitarian corridor.

How the various road users could interact on approaches to major junctions

At the GCP assembly meeting today (July 19), it was recommended the concept, which has been influenced by the input from local liaison forums, campaigners, and residents, should go before the GCP’s executive board next week.

From there, it will be worked up into a detailed design, which is then expected to go to public consultation next year.

Artist impression released by City Deal of what Milton Road could look like north of the Ascham Road junction

The assembly was warned that doing nothing would be terrible in particular for Milton Road.

Interim transport director at the GCP, Chris Tunstall, said considerable additional traffic was expected to use the road in 2031 after the completion of new settlements in Waterbeach and Northstowe.

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Mr Tunstall agreed the (then) City Deal had used language poorly, and he sought to reassure residents that their road was not being viewed as a “corridor”.

He said: “It is not a corridor, I can see how that might have been poor language. I do see that it is people’s homes, and I do see it as that. I will try to use language differently, but sometimes we slip up.”

Lib Dem Cllr Tim Bick, however, said more needed to be done to make sure the scheme was a success. He said the concept, as it stood, was too short-sighted.

Campaigners hope a new plan for Milton Road will keep trees as well as bus lanes

“I’m finding it hard to get enthusiastic about the plans in their current form,” he said, believing they wouldn’t make a big enough difference in getting people out of their cars. He also said he’s worried the scheme is not “future proofed” and that developments in Waterbeach and Northstowe will continue to grow beyond the 2031 levels of traffic the modelling is intended to cope with.

Sir Michael Marshall welcomed the scheme, but reiterated Cllr Bick’s concern that the concept was drawn up with a short-sighted aim.

He wondered whether residents of a newly expanded Waterbeach or Northstowe would behave in the way they were expected to, using Milton Road to access the city.

He said: “We’re waiting for the survey to show us where people go and why. Will the people living in Waterbeach be following a similar pattern? Are they trying to get to London? What are they trying to do?”

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Speaking on behalf of CamCycle, Roxanne deBeaux expressed dismay that modelling software used to give a picture of traffic using the road did not appear to have made allowances for cyclists.

She said: “The final concept design is based on modelling that does not have the capacity to model people walking or cycling. We find this greatly concerning because observations show people walking or cycling make up over a third of people present on Milton Road during peak hour.”

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AstraZeneca’s Andy Williams, however, welcomed the scheme, saying better bus capacity would help improve bus reliability in the city. When it came to business, he said, being even 10 minutes late was “unacceptable”. More reliable buses would mean more business people would be tempted out of their cars.

The recommendation will go before the GCP executive board next week. The deadline for public questions is this Friday (July 21).